


Attention

by areumdown



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Hopeful Ending, High School AU, Making Out, bittersweet but i might make a part 2 for a happy ending, broken!markhyuck, chenles a wild party boi lmao, lapslock, markhyuck, rated teen cause underaged drinking smh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-28
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 10:46:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11334168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/areumdown/pseuds/areumdown
Summary: Mark and Donghyuck have broken up.Except they haven't.





	Attention

****

mark’s frowning when he notices he’s been blocked on twitter by lee jeno. jeno’s his friend — well at least he thought so anyway. they’re on the same basketball team — surely that means they’re friends, right? he ponders over their friendship for a few minutes, recalling the time he’d stayed back once to help jeno with his positioning when shooting hoops, or that time they all went out as a team and jeno offered to pay for his meal because he’d forgotten his wallet in his other bag. he doesn’t want to be getting worked up over this because it’s honestly not that deep. plus, him and jeno only ever see each other during practice or in mr seo’s math class so it isn’t as if this is bothering him a huge deal. _but still_ , why would jeno block him?

he’s confused, to say the least. but he decides not to confront jeno about it when he sees him in the locker rooms just before practice. mark hardly uses twitter anyway.

his mind changes.

it’s when he notices that jeno’s being avoiding his gaze throughout practice and shooting him glares he’s sure could kill that mark notices something’s not quite right. when the team’s coach dismisses them at the end of practice mark makes a beeline towards jeno.

“hey man” he starts, trying to sound as casual as possible. (it comes out nervous and unsure instead).

the other male blinks at him, pretty eyes confused for a moment before his brows furrow when he notices who it is that’s addressing him. there are tiny beads of sweat dripping down his fringe.

“mark hyung” jeno says curtly.

mark’s not liking his tone. he decides not to beat around the bush, slapping his towel onto his shoulder with a soft thud he speaks up.

“yeah, uh, is everything alright? you seemed off today — and you blocked me, what’s that all about?”

jeno raises a brow in disbelief as if to say _you’re seriously asking that?_ and he certainly doesn’t make an effort to hide the scoff that escapes past his lips.

“why don’t you ask yourself, hyung? i can’t believe you did those things to donghyuck.”  
  
now it’s mark’s brows that knit together in confusion. _what does donghyuck have to do with any of this?_

“jeno what are yo-” 

“save it, man. i’m just disappointed. didn’t expect you to be such a jerk” he says before he leaves.

mark tries to recall everything he’s ever done to donghyuck that may consider him being a jerk. donghyuck was the one who broke up with _him._ not the other way around. he hadn’t cheated, lied or done anything diabolical that would cause _jeno_ of all people start shooting daggers at mark during basketball practice. mark groans when he thinks about donghyuck. of course he’s trying to stir up shit again. it’s been just under a month since the break up and he thought he was finally getting over this all. yet, every time someone does so much as mention his ex boyfriend’s name he feels himself stiffen and his stomach lurches. he doesn’t miss donghyuck. _(he does)_

mark hardly uses twitter anyway.

but that evening just before he’s about to head to bed he opens the app on his phone. he’s just showered and his hair is dampening the pillow but he could care less when he finds himself clicking on the search bar to find donghyuck — he’s changed his handle since the break up. _they used to have matching ones._ donghyuck’s a pretty open person (shameless, is the word mark would prefer to use) and he didn’t bother blocking mark from social media after the break up. he’s the sort that likes to rub in how better off they’re doing without you.

as mark finds a familiar looking icon, his gaze softens at the new selfie donghyuck’s uploaded as his profile picture. it doesn’t last a second until he’s suddenly frowning when he reads through the recent tweets.

 

 **DONGHYUCK** @hyuck__lee (1d)

cheaters never win  
(72 retweets, 90 likes)

 **DONGHYUCK** @hyuck__lee (1d)

im way 2 good for u anyway   
(54 retweets, 16 likes) 

 **DONGHYUCK** @hyuck__lee (1d)

eyes on someone else since day 1? lmao glad i dumped ur ass  
(15 retweets, 11 likes) 

 **DONGHYUCK** @hyuck__lee (1d)

when ur ex is a jerk   
(49 retweets, 36 likes)

 

running a hand through his hair in frustration, mark groans aloud as closes the app and finds donghyuck’s name in his contacts. “why is he like this” he mutters to himself, contemplating whether he should press the call button.

donghyuck picks up after 3 rings.

“hi mark, i knew you’d call today” the voice on the other end of the line is cheerful. mark tries to ignore the feeling of his heart fluttering at the familiar chirpy voice. he’s supposed to be mad.

“donghyuck, what the fuck have you been telling people about me?”

“whoa there, potty mouth.”

“takes one to know one.”

“touché” says donghyuck. mark scoffs.

“i’m not a cheater” he states, tone firm.

“who’s na jaemin?” donghyuck’s tone is condescending, but mark knows he’s nervous. he can _hear_ it in his tone under the guise of being patronizing. he’s probably biting his lip right now — a habit he’s always had whenever he gets anxious.

the corners of mark’s lip begin to curl upwards into an amused smirk. so that’s what this is about. mark doesn’t answer donghyuck’s question, choosing to hang up the call instead.

donghyuck is furious.

 

**_-_ **

zhong chenle throws good parties.

good is an understatement. zhong chenle throws amazing parties. his family is pretty well off and he’s able to host huge parties every other weekend for no reason in particular. mark’s not sure what his parents do — he and chenle aren’t really that close anyway — but chenle’s the popular sophomore that _everyone_ wants to be friends with. so when huang renjun, chenle’s junior boyfriend and also na jaemin’s best friend finds out mark has been hanging with the latter recently, mark is only naturally invited too.

chenle doesn’t seem to mind him anyway since he remembers mark once helped him when he was lost on the way to finding the art room. (he wasn’t sure why he was looking for it since he thought chenle took sciences only. he later finds out huang renjun is majoring in art). so when chenle catches mark, jaemin and lucas (and his boyfriend jungwoo) turning up at his place on saturday night, he shoots them a smile and a wave, signalling to help themselves to a drink in the kitchen before resuming clinging to his boyfriend. he’s tipsy. and noisy.

the place stinks like alcohol and sweat, and music is thumping through all the walls of chenle’s mansion (it’s not really a mansion, but the size of the coat closet is bigger than mark’s own bedroom so he begs to differ) and mark’s head is starting to hurt. there are people everywhere. mark’s on the lookout — though he’s been convincing himself that he’s not. _he’s here to enjoy himself._

his mood begins to deflate when he spots jeno with chenle’s best friend jisung, trying to get yoon sanha — their school’s resident class clown — down from a table where he’s currently screaming about a dance off with park minhyuk. chenle is only grinning at the sight and encouraging sanha further, their screaming rivalling. he suddenly remembers jeno blocking him which results in him thinking about donghyuck and he can feel his mood dropping already. he knows the younger will be here somewhere. lee donghyuck _always_ attends zhong chenle’s parties.

as mark and his friends make their way to get some drinks, he feels jaemin’s hand on his elbow. mark turns his head to glance at his younger friend but his eyes aren’t on mark’s. instead he’s glancing at the scene they’ve just passed, his eyes lingering on mark’s teammate as the tips of his ears blush a pretty pink color. jaemin’s not exactly subtle about his crush on lee jeno — and it seems the latter isn’t either as he’s staring back at the other boy, his gaze soft. then he sees mark, and his brows knit together. mark can only roll his eyes as he drags jaemin along with him to the kitchen.

“jeno looks so cute today. what the hell, mark. why did you pull me out like that!” he whines, rubbing at his sleeve as he accepts one of the cans of beer that mark hands him. mark’s always hated the taste of beer but it seems to be the only drink chenle’s serving tonight.

“yeah, yeah go and kiss him if you have the guts” mark hums, taking a sip from his drink before continuing (jaemin’s cheeks are painting themselves pink by this point). “i need your help with something.” lucas and jungwoo have retreated elsewhere by this point and it’s just jaemin and mark in the kitchen (with the exception of that one couple behind them making out on the island, but he’s sure they’re too busy in their own world to notice their conversation).

jaemin raises a brow, a cheshire smile stretching at his his lips as he signals mark to continue.

“we’re going to piss off donghyuck.”

****

**_-_ **

mark knows his plan has failed the moment his eyes meet lee donghyuck’s in the middle of zhong chenle’s living room.

the younger boy looks good. scratch that, he looks great. donghyuck’s hair is purple and his eyes are a deep emerald color (he distinctly remembers the boy once mentioning how he wanted to try out colored lenses). it’s a new look which mark can’t deny looks amazing on him. donghyuck’s standing in the middle of the mini crowd gathered around the table where sanha and minhyuk are currently having their dance off, his cheers just as loud as chenle’s. he looks like he’s having fun. 

but it’s not the hair or eyes which make mark notice the other boy. it’s his clothing. donghyuck’s wearing a familiar hoodie — _mark’s_ hoodie to be specific. it’s the same one mark let donghyuck wear when he was getting cold at the baseball game they went to watch on their first date. _so that’s where it went._ mark swears his heart skips a beat when the younger boy turns his head to land his gaze on mark.

in that split second he recalls their first date. 

_“mark lee, you’re so nervous i bet even the baseball players can sense it from down there” donghyuck laughs, turning to face the older boy and shooting him a mischievous smile. mark’s heart skips a beat when the younger boy scrunches his nose cutely. he’s pretty sure he gulped so loud the people behind him probably heard._

_throughout the game mark subtly tries to take donghyuck’s hand in his own, bring him closer to him, initiate some form of physical contact. but he’s too much of a wimp to do so and he hates it. his head is screaming at him to man up but he can’t hear anything over the sound of his own thudding heart when donghyuck’s excited eyes turn to him as their team scores a home run. everyone’s cheering, screaming and on their feet — but mark seems to only be lost in his crush’s eyes._

_and then donghyuck takes his hand. and mark knows he’s fallen too deep to ever get back up again._

donghyuck looks so small, standing there in the middle of the room. his gaze is piercing, but if mark’s eyes aren’t fooling him he swore he saw a look of surprise in them for a millisecond. he’d miss it if he blinked.

in less than a minute two things happen. 

jaemin’s fingers curl around mark’s arm while donghyuck’s brows knit together, his expression unreadable — jealousy probably. mark turns to glance at his best friend, a hint of an amused smile playing at his lips as jaemin sends donghyuck a smug smirk.

 

**_-_ **

it feels like time has stopped when donghyuck squeezes his way through the crowd of sweaty teenagers, his eyes glaring at jaemin’s hand on mark’s arm.

“oh this should be good” he hears jaemin murmur beside him. it’s almost as if he’s preparing for a battle.

jaemin takes a step forward when donghyuck’s a couple of meters away from them, his mouth open and ready to snap at his best friend’s ex. but before he’s able to say anything, donghyuck’s already managed an iron grip on mark’s other arm, aggressively tugging at it and dragging him away. jaemin’s thinks he finds this rather more interesting instead.

 

**_-_ **

donghyuck’s lips taste like the strawberry lip balm he’s always had the habit of wearing. mark’s lips probably taste like it too now.

he doesn’t remember how or why they got themselves into this position, with donghyuck sat on the island in the kitchen and mark standing in between his legs. his breath must be warm, because he doesn’t miss the slight shiver coming from the younger boy in his arms when he presses a kiss to the side of his nape.

“i bet na jaemin wouldn’t like seeing you here making out with your ex” donghyuck’s tone is condescending as his fingers thread through the older’s hair. mark isn’t threatened.

“mhm” mark hums, fingers at the shorter boy’s sides as donghyuck pulls him in for another kiss. he thinks he’s won. _he probably has. mark’s heart is hurting._

**_-_ **

donghyuck doesn’t cease to make a show of his companionship with his ex all night — he _is_ a drama major afterall. every time his gaze lands on na jaemin he’ll only tug the older boy towards him for another lip locking session. and mark can’t say no despite how badly he wants to. _deep down he doesn’t want to._

mark isn’t sure why donghyuck is doing all this.

donghyuck isn’t sure why he’s doing all this.

it’s a little after midnight when the number of people in zhong chenle’s home start to reduce. turns out a lot of high schoolers are afraid of their curfews. mark tries to peel donghyuck off him from where they’re currently sat on the loveseat, the younger half sat on the seat and half on mark’s lap.

“donghy-” donghyuck shuts him up with another quick peck before shifting to stand up. mark can only glance up at him with dazed eyes before watching his retreating back head to the front door with jeno and jisung.

 

**_-_ **

“so that went well!” jaemin flops onto the seat beside him and mark only groans in frustration, his hand coming up to run his fingers through his tousled hair.

“don’t” he breathes through swollen lips, eyes turning to the front door that’s just closed.

mark smells like strawberry lip balm. _donghyuck’s the one that got away._

 


End file.
